Maymont is a 100-acre greenspace in the heart of Richmond that combines cultured gardens, a grand arboretum, a Gilded Age mansion, an immersive nature center, and an interactive farm into one expansive outdoor classroom.
Celebrating 100 years as a treasured destination for visitors near and far to connect with nature, farm life, and the luxurious testament to America’s Gilded Age in the form of a century-old mansion. With its 25 original buildings and structures lovingly preserved over the decades – not to mention miles of curated garden grounds and nature trails – there is seemingly endless exploration to be had.
Educational Experiences
Groups can explore the recently restored Maymont Mansion, built in 1893, or venture out along the 1-mile Virginia Wildlife Trail, home to rescued and rehabilitated animals. Guided nature tours offer education and personal stories about the animals, plus a meet-and-greet with an animal keeper. Up-close animal encounters invite visiting students to meet a porcupine, bear, and bobcat. Learn about each animal’s behavior, diet, history, and natural adaptations to their environment. Through hands-on field investigations, students examine wildlife, ecosystems, animal adaptations, local history, and the relationship between people and the natural world.
Maymont’s vast garden space is vast and varied. Featuring both Italian and Japanese gardens, an arboretum, and nine specialty gardens – including a wetland habitat, a butterfly trail, a vegetable garden, and more. Each garden space transports visitors to a unique world of vibrant greenery, with its own interesting lessons.
Maymont Mansion
The not-to-be-missed jewel of the estate, Maymont Mansion, sits as a three-story echo of the past. Both self-guided and guided tours are available, taking you through historic rooms filled with bright decadence. By exploring the restored kitchen, laundry, and other service areas, students can learn about the role of domestic service in the Gilded Age. Then head outside for hands-on learning and interaction with Maymont’s farm animals, including a rooster, goats, sheep, and more. These hands-on animal encounters provide students with a fun way to engage with animals up close.
Plan Your Trip to Maymont
Programs are tailored to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and span every grade level, from lower elementary options like Barnyard Basics and Life Cycles, which introduce young learners to farm animals and basic biology, to high school programs such as Skull Lab and Behavioral Adaptations, which dive into comparative anatomy and animal behavior. Additional programs cover topics ranging from botany and horticulture to Virginia history, giving group organizers flexibility to match a visit to specific academic goals.
100 years in the making, Maymont remains an opulent Gilded Age landmark, welcoming visitors of all ages to explore its unique history. With its mix of historic architecture, native wildlife, and cultivated landscapes, Maymont gives students the chance to engage with science and history where it happens, rather than in the typical classroom setting. The variety of grade-specific programming makes it easy for teachers, tour operators, and student travel organizers alike to build a visit around their group’s age range and curriculum needs.
